Today, Chris Buckley at Reuters reports Beijing has taken the additional step of warning its military troops to ignore all online rumors as the country prepares for a profound leadership transition.

China's leading military newspaper, The Liberation Army Daily, ordered soldiers to "resolutely resist the incursion of all kinds of erroneous ideas, not be disturbed by noise, not be affected by rumors, and not be drawn by undercurrents, and ensure that at all times and under all circumstances the military absolutely obeys the command of the Party central leadership, the Central Military Commission and Chairman Hu."

Buckley points out that while the coup rumors were apparently unfounded, the speed and depth at which they spread seemed to have unsettled Party leaders and reflect concern about control after the removal of Bo Xilai last month.

China's Communist Party relies on its total control of the People's Liberation Army to ensure its power, so leaders are naturally looking to forestall any unrest in the military.